Modern Mobiles

Mobiles add a playful and stimulating element to the nursery, but hanging stuffed animals? Not really your aesthetic. Check out our 8 faves -- hang them with fishing line from the ceiling so you won't have to retire them when baby learns to pull up. Once they've done their duty in your kid's room, some of these are sleek enough to string up in the living room until the next kid comes along.

In Black and White

Turn your child's mobile into a hanging photo gallery. Choose from five different black-and-white doodles or clip on your own family snapshots. Perfect for newborns who see contrast best, the cards can also be hung vertically or facedown.

Kikkerland Photo Mobile is available at spunkysprout.com and retails for $18 or $33 with cards.

Gwyneth Paltrow hung this colorful bird mobile in son Moses' room. Made from cotton hand-picked by women's co-ops in Peru, it's soft and cuddly -- and it's a purchase you can feel good about. Give it a jiggle to see the birds move.

Big Birds Mobile is available at blablakids.com and retails for $110.

The collages plastered all over your walls in college might not have been the sleekest example, but old magazines can be turned into beautiful art. Constructed from carefully hand-picked images (nothing inappropriate here), this fluttery mobile, which takes almost 8 hours to hand-string together, also come in crisp, clean white -- a beautiful contrast against bright walls.

Recycled Magazine Mobile is available at frazierandwing.com and starts at $85.

Wary of something over the crib? Try this mobile/wall hanging hybrid instead. Available in oval or square, and in a variety of colors, this '60s-inspired wall mobile will look cool even into the teen years.

Oras Oval Wall Mobile is available at modernnursery.com and retails for $148.

The minimalist, Nemo-free design of this floating fish mobile makes it a more elegant than cutesy take on the undersea theme. Our favorite part? The tiny red worm in the middle.

Shoal of Fish mobile is available at moderntots.com and retails for $46.

With spots of cascading color, this thoroughly modern, Calder-esque mobile will be a stand-out in any nursery. With more than 20 different designs in varying color combinations and sizes, you'll find the just-right one (and if not, a mobile can be custom-created for your particular palette).

Mobius mobile by Julie Frith is available at humboldt1.com/~mobiles/ and starts at $150.

The gently curved lines of this mobile make it appear to float on air. Available in bamboo, maple, and walnut you can mix and match, this unfussy mobile is a perfect pick for an organic nursery.

Rift mobile is available at adriftmobiles.com and retails for $248.

The spinning shapes of this mobile will entrance your little one as they gently move within each other. Because it's adjustable (from 40 to 96 inches tall), this mobile works just as well as an over-the-crib accessory as it does as a floor-to-ceiling ornament. It also comes in red, orange, and blue.

SAUCER Mobile is available at spunkysprout.com and retails for $104.